Memory loss linked to alcohol consumption
Many studies report the negative effects that alcohol has on the human body, from affecting your mental health, impeding your sleep and even damaging your DNA.
Now a new study, out of the Department of Epidemiology & Public Health at the University College London, takes a look at the long-term effects of alcohol consumption for men. Researchers found that men who drink more than two alcoholic drinks a day in their middle-age years could have memory loss hit them up to six years sooner.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, surveyed 5,000 men ages 44 to 69 on how much they drink alcoholic beverages and how often. Researchers then tested them on their memory recall and other cognitive tests about reasoning and function. They tested them at the start of the study and then three more times over a 10 year period.
“Our study focused on middle-aged participants and suggests that heavy drinking is associated with faster decline in all areas of cognitive function in men,” said Severine Sabia, study author, in a statement.
In comparison to those who are non-drinkers and those who consumed less than two drinks a day, the heavier drinkers showed a decline in memory six years faster.
Researchers said the two drinks can be compared to about 36 grams of alcoholic drinks. The study also looked at nearly 2,000 women in the study, but data was not sufficient to compare the non-drinkers to the heavy drinkers.
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About the Author
Sarah Scroggins, health enews contributor, is the director of social media at Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care. She has a BA and MA in Communications. When not on social media, she loves reading a good book (or audiobook), watching the latest Netflix series and teaching a college night class.
